Arkansas jobless rate climbs to 4.1% in November

Arkansas’ unemployment rate ticked up in November as more residents entered the job market, the Arkansas Department of Commerce reported Wednesday.

The state’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate reached 4.1% in November, up from 3.9% in September. Nationally, unemployment rose to 4.6% in November, compared to 4.4% two months earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Officials said an expanding labor force contributed to the increase. Arkansas’ civilian labor force grew by 8,633 since September, reaching 1,439,250 in November. The workforce gains included 4,999 newly employed residents along with 3,634 Arkansans actively seeking work. The labor force participation rate rose to 58.8%.

Compared with November 2024, the state has 13,154 more employed and 8,887 additional unemployed job seekers. The unemployment rate and participation rate both climbed 0.5 percentage points over the year.

Nonfarm payroll employment in Arkansas edged down by 700 jobs in November. Professional and Business Services recorded the largest decline, shedding 1,400 positions, with most losses concentrated in Administrative and Support Services. Other decreases were small and largely seasonal.

Holiday-season hiring lifted Trade, Transportation, and Utilities by 2,500 jobs, including 2,300 new positions in retail.

Over the year, Arkansas has added 17,600 payroll jobs. Leisure and Hospitality led growth, gaining 6,700 positions, followed by Private Education and Health Services with 4,900 jobs and Trade, Transportation and Utilities up 4,700. Construction posted the largest annual decline, falling by 2,200 jobs.

State officials noted that no October civilian labor force estimates were available because a federal funding lapse halted data collection that month.